Report: Chevy's 2012 Impala Packs 302 Horsepower

It’s no secret that the 2012 Chevrolet Impala will be getting GM’s updated 3.6-liter V-6 engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. What we didn’t know until General Motors Insider broke the story was how much horsepower that 3.6-liter engine would yield.

According to the 2012 order guide for the Chevrolet Impala, the new six-cylinder engine will be rated at 302 horsepower, or just one horsepower shy of the previous generation’s V-8-equipped Impala SS. Chevrolet discontinued the Impala SS after the 2009 model year, and that car required a 5.3-liter, V-8 engine to generate 303 horsepower.

Perhaps most impressive is that Chevrolet will offer the 3.6-liter V-6 as the standard engine across all trim levels, including the base LS, the mid-level LT and the range-topping LTZ. Look for General Motors to use the same 3.6-liter V-6, possibly with a different horsepower rating, as an optional upgrade to the Buick LaCrosse.

While more horsepower and increased fuel efficiency from a smaller-displacement engine is a good thing, fans of the seventh-generation Impala still lament the move to a front-engine, front-drive configuration. Don’t look for General Motors to bring back the front-engine, rear-drive configuration any time soon, especially if the rumored civilian version of the Chevrolet Caprice Police Interceptor (which features a front-engine, rear-drive layout) is ultimately launched.

Better than nothing I guess. At least it will give it an advantage over the Malibu.

Kurt
Posted: 5/16/2011 12:07pm PDT

Cozmo, it'll be a huge improvement on the Buick as well. The last LaCrosse I drove, with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, was best described as "horrifyingly slow".

Richard
Posted: 5/16/2011 12:27pm PDT

Still butt ugly, though.

Bill
Posted: 5/17/2011 10:26am PDT

Now if they will just put in a seat that you can actually get confortable in, maybe they will have something.

norman
Posted: 5/18/2011 1:02am PDT

What's the big problem here? Discontinue the current rendition of the Impala and transfer the moniker to the civilian version of the Caprice. Then you'll have your rear-drive Impala. This is a simplistic approach, but those approaches sometimes work.

Kurt
Posted: 5/18/2011 4:43am PDT

@norman, it sounds like Chevy will keep the Caprice name for the civilian version of their police interceptor. It does make me wonder if two full-size sedans, one front drive and the other rear drive, are really necessary.